Wales offers funded childcare to all two-year-olds in 86% of councils by November

Nineteen of Wales’s 22 local authorities will provide funded childcare to every two-year-old by the end of November, driven by a £55 million Welsh Government investment. The remaining three councils are on track to follow suit by March 2027, completing the first stage of a wider early-years programme. This expansion marks a significant acceleration in provision since May 2026, when only three local authorities offered the scheme to all eligible children.

The rollout represents a major shift in access to early education across the nation. By the end of this month, 86 per cent of Welsh councils will have implemented the funded offer for two-year-olds. The Welsh Government describes this as the first step towards a universal childcare framework for all children aged nine months to four years.

Under the initial phase of the scheme, parents can access 12.5 hours of funded childcare per week for their two-year-old children. This provision is designed to alleviate financial pressure on families while ensuring consistent access to professional early-years settings. The government states this is part of a broader commitment to tackle the rising cost of living.

The announcement comes six months after the current Welsh Government took office in May. It forms a central pillar of the administration’s strategy to improve access to early-years education and support working families. The phased approach allows for a steady expansion of services across all communities in Wales before reaching full coverage.

The long-term ambition is to increase the funded hours to 20 per week for 48 weeks of the year. Following this, the offer will be extended to younger children, eventually covering all children from nine months to four years old. The Welsh Government asserts that, when fully implemented, this will be the most generous universal childcare offer anywhere in the UK.

Families across the country are already reporting the tangible benefits of the new funding. Rhys Lee, a parent in Rhondda Cynon Taf, has seen a significant positive impact on his family’s finances and his daughter’s development. His two-year-old attends a local nursery where the funded hours have made a real difference to their daily lives.

Lee noted that the support was not available when his first child was born, highlighting the improved access for newer families. “The 12.5 funded hours have had a hugely positive impact on our family since they were introduced, particularly as we didn’t have access to this support when our first child was born,” he said.

He explained that the funding allows them to access professional childcare without worrying about the financial cost. “They have allowed us to provide our daughter with access to a professional childcare setting, supporting her learning, development and social skills without having to worry about the financial cost,” Lee added.

The parent emphasised that the scheme provides greater financial flexibility for the household. “Not only have we been able to see the positive impact on her development, but the funded hours have also given us greater financial flexibility as a family,” he stated.

This flexibility enables the family to budget for other developmental activities for all their children. “This means we can budget for other activities and opportunities for all our children to support their development, without the added pressure of paying for additional private childcare,” Lee continued.

He concluded that the funded hours have made a substantial difference to their overall family life. “Overall, the funded hours have made a real difference to our family, both in supporting our daughter’s early development and helping us manage the wider costs of raising children,” he said.

Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams is marking the latest milestone with a visit to Little Inspirations Day Nursery and Camau Cyntaf Meithrin in Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd. Families across Rhondda Cynon Taf have been able to access the funded childcare offer since September, benefiting from the early rollout.

The bilingual nursery provides play-based learning opportunities for young children in both indoor and outdoor settings. Williams stated that the expansion demonstrates the Government’s determination to turn its childcare commitments into practical support for families across the nation.

She described the progress as a major milestone in delivering the government’s cost-of-living support. “This is a major milestone in delivering our commitment to support families with the cost of living through our funded childcare offer,” Ms Williams said.

Williams highlighted the rapid pace of the rollout since the government took office. “When we took office in May, only three local authorities were offering funded childcare to all two-year-olds.” Just six months later, 19 local authorities will have delivered the offer by the end of this month, with the remaining three on track to do so by the end of March,” she explained.

The Deputy First Minister emphasised the government’s focus on transforming childcare services. “This rapid progress reflects our determination to get on with the job of transforming childcare for families across Wales, turning our commitment into reality in communities across the nation,” she said.

She affirmed the government’s belief in providing the best start in life for every child. “We believe every child deserves the best start in life and no family should be held back by the cost of childcare,” Williams stated.

The minister noted that the offer is helping to tackle poverty and support working families. “At a time when childcare costs place real pressure on family budgets, this transformational offer is helping more families access the support they need, tackling poverty, supporting working families and creating opportunities across Wales,” she added.

The £55 million investment is intended to support the continued expansion of funded childcare across the country. The longer-term aim is to make provision available to all families with children aged nine months to four years. The Welsh Government says the phased approach will allow the offer to expand across Wales before reaching its full intended coverage.